Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
The regiment is remarkable
for the number of units it raised for war service.
Battalions of the regular army
1st Battalion: August 1914 : in Kinsale in Ireland. Part of 17th Brigade, 6th Division
2nd Battalion: August 1914 : in Calcutta, India. Returned to England January 1915. Joined 86th Brigade, 29th Division
3rd Battalion: August 1914 : in Lucknow, India. Returned to England December 1914. Joined 85th Brigade, 28th Division 15 July 1918 : transferred to 149th Brigade, 50th Division
4th Battalion: August 1914 : in Parkhurst, Isle of Wight. Part of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division
5th (Reserve) Battalion:
6th (Reserve) Battalion:
7th (Extra Reserve) Battalion: 27 July 1916 : joined the 190th Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division
Battalions of the Territorial Force
None: This Regiment raised no battalions of the TF, although several battalions of the London Regiment were affiliated to the Royal Fusiliers.
Battalions of the New Armies
8th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Hounslow in August 1914 as part of
K1. 6 February 1918 : disbanded in France
9th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Hounslow in August 1914 as part of K1.
10th (Service) Battalion: Formed in City of London in August 1914
as part of K2 - although it was a locally raised Battalion, not under
the control of the War Office - and had the unofficial title of the Stockbrokers.
11th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Hounslow on 6 September 1914
as part of K2.
12th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Hounslow on 13 September 1914
as part of K3. 18 October 1915 : transferred
to 17th Brigade, 24th Division.
13th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Hounslow on 13 September 1914
as part of K3. March 1915 : transferred
to 111th Brigade, 37th Division.
14th and 15th (Reserve) Battalions: Formed in Dover in October 1914 as Service
battalions, part of K4.
16th (Reserve) Battalion: Formed in Falmouth in October 1914 as Service
battalions, part of K4.
17th (Service) Battalion (Empire): Formed in London on 31 August 1914
by the British Empire Committee.
18th (Service) Battalion (1st Public Schools): Formed at Epsom on 11
September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Mens Force.
19th (Service) Battalion (2nd Public Schools): Formed at Epsom on 11
September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Mens Force.
20th (Service) Battalion (3rd Public Schools): Formed at Epsom on 11
September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Mens Force. 27 November 1915 : transferred
to 19th Brigade, 33rd Division.
21st (Service) Battalion (4th Public Schools): Formed at Epsom on 11
September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Mens Force.
22nd (Service) Battalion (Kensington Battalion): Formed at Kensington on 11
September 1914 by the Mayor and Borough. 25
November 1915 : transferred with the Brigade to 2nd
Division.
23rd (Service) Battalion (1st Sportsmen's Battalion): Formed at the Hotel Cecil in the Strand,
London, on 25 September 1914 by E.Cunliffe-Owen.
24th (Service) Battalion (2nd Sportsmen's Battalion): Formed in
London on 20 November 1914 by E.Cunliffe-Owen.
25th (Service) Battalion (Frontiersmen): Formed in London on 12 February
1915 by the Legion of Frontiersmen. Disbanded in England 29 June 1918.
26th (Service) Battalion (Banker's Battalion): Formed in London on 17 July 1915 by the Lord Mayor and City of London, and composed in the main of former bank clerks and accountants. November 1915 : attached to 124th Brigade, 41st Division.
27th (Reserve) Battalion: Formed in Horsham in August 1915.
A training unit.
28th (Reserve) Battalion: Formed in Epsom in August 1915. A training unit. See 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion, below.
29th (Reserve) Battalion: Formed in Epsom in August 1915. A training unit.
30th (Reserve) Battalion: Formed in Romford in August 1915. A training unit.
31st (Reserve) Battalion: Formed in Romford in August 1915. A training unit. See 52nd (Graduated) Battalion, below.
32nd (Service) Battalion (East Ham Battalion): Formed in London on 18 October 1915 by
the Mayor and Borough of East Ham. 18 March 1918: disbanded in France.
38th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Plymouth on 20 January 1918
from Jewish volunteers. During September 1918, attached to Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division, in Palestine.
39th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Plymouth on 21 January 1918
from Jewish volunteers. During September 1918, attached to Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division, in Palestine.
40th (Service) Battalion: Formed at Plymouth on 21 January 1918
from Jewish volunteers. 41st and 42nd (Reserve) Battalions: Formed at Plymouth in January 1918. Training units for 38th to 40th Battalions.
Other battalions raised by the regiment 33rd to 37th (Labour) Battalions: Formed at Seaford (33rd) and Falmer (34th to 37th) in May and June 1916. April 1917 became the 99th to 108th Labour Companies, Labour Corps.
38th to 42nd (Labour) Battalions: 38th formed at Plymouth in September 1917;
39th formed at Plymouth on 21 Jan 1918;
43rd and 44th (Garrison) Battalions: Formed in France in May and September 1918 from Garrison Guard Companies, for duty at the five Army HQs. Manned by troops who had been rated as medically unfit for front line duty.
My thanks to Charles Messenger for details of the 'other' battalions above.
45th and 46th (Service) Battalions: Formed in London in April 1919 and served in North Russia until disbanded in December 1919.
51st (Graduated) Battalion: Up to 26 October 1917, this was known as 259th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 106th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 30th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers . A training unit based at Ipswich, it was part of 215th Brigade in 72nd Division. In March 1918 when 72nd Division was broken up it went to 204th Brigade of 68th Division at Newmarket. By June 1918 it had moved to Henham Park near Southwold.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion: Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 265th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 107th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 31st (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. A training unit based atIpswich, it was part of 217th Brigade in 72nd Division. In March 1918 when 72nd Division was broken up it went to 204th Brigade of 68th Division at Newmarket.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion: Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 104th Young Soldier Battalion . Before that it had been 28th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. A basic recruit training unit based at Catterick, it joined of 2nd Reserve Brigadeand moved to Cannock Chase. In October 1918 it moved to Clipstone Camp in Nottinghamshire.
|
Did
you know? There is a memorial to the Royal Fusiliers of
1914-1918 on High Holborn, close to Chancery Lane tube station.
Why not take a few minutes to see it next time you are in London?